Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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-These spirit beast bastards! I told you to leave me alone!
[My lord, Black Despair-nim. Is it really okay to keep going like this?]
[Yeah. Keep going.]
A long chain of lightning stretched out like a rope, binding Silpi's body.
Of course, it wasn't meant to harm her, so even if it touched her, it was just a slight zap at most.
That's why Silpi was thrashing around so wildly right now.
But I knew.
No matter how much she twisted and turned now, once she reached the sunlight and moved a certain distance away, she would calm down.
-......
See? She's behaving now.
Silpi, who had been shaking her body and insisting on going home just moments ago, suddenly went limp and quiet. The wolf spirit beast looked at her curiously and asked me.
[Is she really okay?]
[Yeah. She'll feel better once we get near Ceres, so don't worry about it.]
"Grandma... Hmm. This might not be bad. But already Grandma. But with El... Urgh."
[Her mind's still a bit off, but her body's following fine, so no issues there.]
And so, with half our group showing strange symptoms, we moved more slowly than before toward where Ceres was.
A few wild animals spotted us along the way, but with one spirit and three spirit beasts, they only watched from afar. None dared approach.
[We're here.]
We arrived at our destination without any interruptions.
As soon as I spoke, Silpi naturally flew toward Ceres, seeming a bit more energetic.
-Ugh... Feels a little better.
-Welcome, Silpi-nim.
-Hey, Ceres.
I released the lightning rope I'd made, and Silpi immediately began checking her surroundings, as if she'd been waiting for it.
But upon seeing the elf granddaughter, she started circling around her, inspecting closely.
-You're the child Ceres made?
"Y-Yes, Spirit-nim!"
-Just call me Silpi. You're Ceres's child, and El's granddaughter too.
After finishing her check, Silpi raised her hand toward me and drew a big circle in the air.
This was her answer to my prior request: check if the child had any innate issues at birth, and if Ceres had any problems while creating her.
The circle meant no issues at all. Extremely healthy.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief inwardly and spoke up.
[Now that I've brought everyone, let's think of a name for the granddaughter.]
-Can we really name her?
-Yes. It would be an honor. I'm sure she'll like it too... Huh?
We hurriedly turned our heads toward what surprised Ceres.
"Urgh. You're my granddaughter."
"Um, I'm Grandpa's granddaughter, though."
"That's why you're my granddaughter."
"Y-Yes...?"
Dragging Cheong along, who was saying something odd, we all huddled together and recalled the naming session from before.
[Let's each list names that come to mind first.]
[Me too?]
[Yeah. Since you're here, use your brain a bit.]
"I say Igret!"
[Then I recommend Aspéra.]
-How about Ace?
We all gathered and racked our brains for the nameless granddaughter, while Ceres watched us.
-If any name catches your fancy midway, just say so without hesitation.
"Yes, Mother."
But who could've predicted it?
Amid the nearly hundred names poured out by three spirit beasts and one spirit, not a single one would appeal to her.
-Th-This one?
"S-Sorry."
-Hahaha...
[Ugh. How about this name?]
"It does have a nice ring."
[B-But?]
"Sorry."
[Gah! M-Maybe if I bash my head and pass out, this will all end.]
Before we knew it, we were suggesting names while watching the granddaughter's reactions.
Silpi lost it at the constant "sorry"s, while the wolf spirit beast clutched his head, seemingly escaping reality to flee the situation.
As for Cheong and me...
Munch.
[How is it? Tasty, right?]
"Yeah. But not as good as Amrita."
We were eating fruit we'd gathered nearby, right next to Ceres.
Why were Silpi and the wolf suffering over names while Cheong and I lounged eating fruit?
-You're at least paying attention to me, right?
[Of course.]
"Mmph. Listeninggg."
This was to entertain the guest who had suddenly dropped in from the sky.
While we were deep in name deliberation, a not-so-unfamiliar visitor plummeted from above.
It was Sirin, the top-grade wind spirit who had come with the Wind Spirit King before.
-Anyway, back to the point. Our king conveyed his opinion to the other spirit kings, and as a result, we've decided to delegate full authority over this place to the Tree of Life.
-That's appreciated.
-And to inform others, we're planning to hold the upcoming spirit kings' meeting here, so I've come to request your permission.
Sirin had come to relay that they wanted to hold the spirit kings' meeting here soon.
A chance to meet the other spirit kings besides the Wind one.
But I had faint worries they might cause trouble, so I couldn't easily approve.
[If anyone comes here and causes issues, they won't leave unscathed.]
-That won't happen, so don't worry needlessly.
Sirin said it curtly, as if stating the obvious.
At that attitude, I felt a strange sense of reassurance and nodded affirmatively to Ceres.
-Then please let us know the schedule, and we'll prepare accordingly.
[But don't notify us just the day before.]
-We're not that lacking in common sense.
Good, then.
No last-minute scramble without prep time.
-But why is Silpi acting like that?
[Oh, she's just overthought herself into a daze temporarily. No worries, she'll snap back soon.]
-Makes sense since she's out here. She was fine before due to the special circumstances with the Spirit King present. I get it now.
No, she just got like that from obsessing over names.
Silpi no longer panicked just from going outside.
On the way here, she just went limp without energy, but no special symptoms.
-Then I'll head back now.
"Already? You just got here."
-I've finished all my business here.
With that, Sirin wrapped herself in wind without hesitation and soared into the sky.
But we tried to hold her back, not wanting her to leave.
-I don't know why you're trying to keep me here, but as I said, my business is done.
[Urk!]
"Nooo!"
But if Sirin left now, Cheong and I would plunge into that endless naming hell over there.
If we hadn't experienced that hell before, it might be fine, but having escaped once, we refused to return.
At least until Silpi or the wolf came up with a proper name!
Whoosh.
"Kyaang."
[......]
But we weren't the Wind Spirit King.
Sirin mercilessly turned her back on our pleading faces and returned to her abode.
"Can't Ceres just name her? It's your kid after all!"
-I'm no good at naming.
"Us too."
-But I don't have time, managing this place all day.
"Aren't you talking to us now? Don't you have time for that?"
-Go for it, Mom.
"...Hmph."
Cheong sat next to Silpi, wagging her tail as if she didn't hate the encouragement.
The moment I moved to join them...
A word popped into my mind like a lightbulb flashing, and I mumbled it aloud without thinking.
[...Keter.]
"Ke...ter?"
She must have caught my quiet mutter.
As a different word from the endless "sorry"s slipped out, we all naturally turned to her.
"Keter."
"......"
[......]
[......]
-......
-......
Ceres fell silent with us.
In the center of paradise, amid countless listed names, the elf's clear voice rang out.
"Keter."
As if to not forget it.
Or to get used to it.
She kept saying the word "Keter," then shouted with the brightest expression we'd seen.
"Keter! I love it!"
-Huh?
[R-Really?]
Silpi and the wolf, who had been forcing out names in place, applauded the granddaughter—Keter—with complex expressions.
[That name's really okay?]
Especially for me, it was bewildering since it just popped up suddenly.
To make a word I blurted out without thinking her name.
But no matter how many times I asked, she nodded that she liked "Keter."
Then, facing us directly, she bowed formally and introduced herself.
"The first branch among the ten branches that protect Mother, Keter. I formally greet Grandfather and Grandmother!"
[...Hold on.]
What did you just say, Terter?
Ten branches?
You don't have siblings, do you?